The present invention relates to the structure of a connector to be used for connection of a wire harness and the like and, in particular, to the structure of a connector housing and a terminal locking member to be connected thereto in order to prevent the after-removal of terminals respectively to be inserted into terminal accommodating chambers which are respectively provided in the connector housing.
In FIG. 6, there is shown a perspective view of a connector housing a and a terminal locking member b according to the conventional device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-34083.
Within the connector housing a, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers c are provided in parallel to each other in two upper and lower layers, and flexible locking arms n are provided extending in parallel to each other forwardly from the walls of the terminal accommodating chambers c to form lock means with respect to terminals m. On the outside of the connector housing a, there is provided a locking projection p on a lock arm d, which projection p is retained with its mating female connector housing.
The terminal locking member b includes a frame-shaped main body f having a plurality of insertion portions e into which the terminals m and electric wires to be connected thereto can be inserted, and a plurality of flexible locking pieces g which are respectively extended forwardly of the main body f and correspond to the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers c arranged in the two upper and lower layers. The terminal locking member b further includes in the two side portions thereof two lock arms h, h which are similarly extended in parallel to each other forwardly of the main body f and are retained with the connector housing a. The lock arm h includes a vertically flexible piece h.sub.1 on which a temporarily locking projection ha is provided, and a horizontally flexible piece h.sub.2 on which a real locking projection hb is provided. The real locking projection hb is positioned in the rear of the temporarily locking projection ha.
The connector housing a includes side walls i, i. In the rear portions of the side walls i, i, there are provided bulged walls j, j and there are also formed s receiving portions k, k which are used to receive the lock arms h, h, respectively. In the rear end of the bulged wall j and on the opposed side of the receiving portion k, there are provided an locking portion (not shown) with respect to the temporarily locking projection ha and an locking portion (not shown) with respect to the real locking projection hb.
As constructed in the above-mentioned manner, in use, the connector housing a and terminal locking member b are in the temporarily connected state in which the temporarily locking projection ha in the vertically flexible piece h is in engagement with the locking portion of the receiving portion k, prior to insertion of the terminals m. In this state, the terminals m connected to the electric wire is inserted from the insertion portion e of the terminal locking member b into the terminal accommodating chamber c, while the leading end n.sub.1 of a flexible locking arm n is locked with the terminal edge m.sub.2 of the terminals m.
Next, the terminal locking member b is inserted until the real locking projection hb of the lock arm h is retained with the above-mentioned engaging portion inside of the bulged wall j. At that time, as shown in FIG. 7, the leading end g.sub.1 of the flexible locking piece g of the terminal engagement member b is in contact with the end edge m.sub.1 of a stabilizer provided in the terminal m to thereby prevent the after-removal of the terminal m.
Referring now to FIG. 8(a), there is shown a transverse section view of the terminal metal m, illustrating a state in which the leading end g.sub.1 of the flexible locking piece g of the terminal locking member b is in contact with the terminal edge m.sub.1 of the stabilizer of the terminal m. A width r between the outsides of the terminal edges m.sub.1, m.sub.1 of a pair of stabilizers is slightly smaller than a width q of the terminal accommodating chamber c, that is, play is present between them. Further, a width s between the outsides of a pair of leading ends g.sub.1, g.sub.1 of the flexible locking piece g is also slightly smaller than the width q of the above terminal accommodating chamber c, that is, play is also present between them. Therefore, if their terminal m is given a withdrawing force in a direction of D which is greater than necessary, then the above-mentioned two kinds of play are combined and, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the respective leading ends g.sub.1 of the flexible locking pieces g are caused to deflect inwardly, so that the flexible locking pieces g fail to perform their functions to secure the terminal m. As a result of this, the withdrawing force is too strong to be supported only by the flexible locking arm n (see FIG. 7) of the connector housing a, so that the terminal m will be removed or slipped off from the connector housing a.